Sunil Gavaskar suggests swapping T20 World Cups between India and Australia
Sunil Gavaskar has suggested that India and Australia can swap the ICC T20 World Cup between themselves if the COVID-19 curve flattens out in India before the commencement. As a matter of fact, Australia has barred foreigners from entering the country till September 30 with international flight ban.
The coronavirus outbreak has not only affected the IPL and other international series but it has also started to have a negative impact on the game's functioning. The domino effect has seen even tournaments scheduled for almost after six to seven months being cast under severe doubts. In the wake of that, Sunil Gavaskar suggested that swapping the T20 World Cups between India and Australia for the year 2020 and 2021 will be a good alternative.Â
“As we all know, Australia has barred foreigners from entering the country till September 30. The tournament starts mid-October so it is looking difficult at the moment. Next year the T20 World Cup is in India. If India and Australia come to an agreement and the COVID-19 curve in India flattens out, they can swap. It can be held in India this October-November and next year in Australia around the same time,” Gavaskar told India Today.
Gavaskar's opinion stemmed from the fact that if the BCCI manage to hold the Indian Premier League in September window, it can be a better practise time for the T20 World Cup. The Little Master stated that the Asia Cup, in that sense, will be pushed to December, a time that is conducive for cricket in the Gulf.
“If it (T20 WC swap) happens that way, IPL is just held prior to T20 World Cup so there is enough practice for the players. Then you can have T20I World Cup in November and Asia Cup in December in UAE. December is a much better time to host a tournament in the UAE,” said the 70-year-old.